Tom Hanks says "it's a scary thought" if AI recreats Woody's voice in future Toy Story films

Washington [US], June 23 (ANI): Tom Hanks has raised concerns about the growing role of artificial intelligence in entertainment, saying Disney could potentially recreate Woody’s voice for future ‘Toy Story’ films even if he does not return to the franchise.

The two-time Oscar winner is currently back as Woody in ‘Toy Story 5,’ which has delivered a franchise-record worldwide opening of USD 312 million, as per Variety.

As discussions around the future of the long-running animated series continue, Hanks addressed whether he would return for a potential sixth instalment.

“If you’re gonna do another ‘Toy Story,’ it better be worthwhile,” Hanks told, adding, “It better be great. You better be examining some theme that is not just dragging it out because people like the title. I mean, it is a huge corporate business without a doubt, I’m not gonna discount that. But unless it’s good, new, fresh, there’s no reason to do it at all,” as quoted by Variety.

While Hanks did not rule out a future return, he acknowledged that advances in AI technology could allow Disney to bring Woody back without his direct involvement.

According to the actor, decades of recorded dialogue from the franchise could be used to generate new performances.

“Time is undefeated,” Hanks said, adding, “The question would be whether or not we could cobble together some version of me. Every word we have ever recorded in time in ‘Toy Story’ is on digital media somewhere, so they could put together anything they would want,” as quoted by Variety.

Hanks’ longtime co-star Tim Allen, who voices Buzz Lightyear, shares similar concerns. Both actors agreed that the prospect of AI-generated performances is “a scary thought.”

The actor has previously spoken about the implications of AI and deepfake technology on the future of performers.

During an earlier interview, Hanks recalled first encountering large-scale digital replication while working on Robert Zemeckis’ 2004 film ‘The Polar Express.’

“The first time we did a movie that had a huge amount of our own data locked in a computer, literally what we looked like, was a movie called ‘The Polar Express,'” Hanks said, as quoted by Variety.

“We saw this coming, we saw that there was going to be this ability to take zeros and ones from inside a computer and turn it into a face and a character. That has only grown a billion-fold since then and we see it everywhere,” he added.

Hanks added that modern AI tools could allow actors to continue appearing on screen long after their deaths, raising both creative and legal questions for the industry.

As quoted by Variety, he said, “Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deep fake technology. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on. Outside the understanding of AI and deepfake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me and me alone. And it’s going to have some degree of lifelike quality. That’s certainly an artistic challenge but it’s also a legal one.”

Meanwhile, ‘Toy Story 5’ is currently playing in theatres nationwide. (ANI)

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